Linking Technology Foresight and Regional Innovation Activities: Network Facilitating Innovation Policy in Lahti Region, Finland

Abstract

During recent years a growing body of literature has been published on regional innovation systems and regional foresight activities. However, not so much attention has been paid on modelling the connection between these two areas of research. This article proposes a model on how to use results of regional technology foresight in generating practical innovation processes in a region with mainly synthetic knowledge infrastructures. The model draws upon practical experiences from Lahti region, Finland, where the concept of network facilitating innovation policy has been adopted as part of the regional development strategy.

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Essi Artima, Project Manager at Lahti Science and Business Park for technical support in conducting this research and two anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments.

Notes

The definition of technology signal is analogical to that of weak signal (see, e.g. Vapaavuori & von Bruun, 2003). The content of the signal is related to technology, hence the name technology signal.

Due to our aim in this article (to describe the processual nature of network facilitating innovation policy in the Lahti region) and to the limited space, only a sample of results of the foresight process is presented here. The rest of the results will be reported on in other articles and research reports.